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GREATER LINCOLNSHIRE _____________________________________________________ Local Enterprise Partnership Present: Ursula Lidbetter – Chair, David Dexter - Deputy Chair, Neil Corner, Mark Tinsley, Herman Kok, Cllr Doreen Stephenson, Chris Baron, Andy Baxendale, Cllr Eddy Poll, Richard Wills, Dr Tony Hill, Marc Cole, Jenny Couch, Ruth Carver (LEP Secretariat) Carolyn Tuscher (LEP Secretariat). Friday 30th September 2011 1. ACTION Apologies, Declarations, Minutes and Matters Arising. Apologies were received from Professor Mary Stuart, Cllr Mick Burnett, Dick Herzberg, Winston Phillips and Cllr Liz Redfern. There were no declarations of interest given at this point and the minutes from the th board meeting of 13 July were agreed. Matters arising Business Support Herman and David are undertaking a review into Business Support across Greater Lincolnshire, and this has two strands; 1. An inventory of what is currently available to whom, The whom is important, as government focus is on Gazelles – and there are concerns that this leaves gaps across Greater Lincolnshire. 2. What do Businesses actually require? Currently putting together a survey with focussed questions. The University Business School has offered support with this. They are currently running a pilot scheme and will feed back on needs. Herman wondered whether the Capacity fund would be able to support this activity – Secretariat The LEP Secretariat would look into this The Transport Seminar Richard Wills gave feedback on the recently held Transport Seminar, and he thanked both the LEP board members and those that shaped the sessions. In summary there needs to be a balance between internal and external connectivity but generally external connectivity scored higher for all business sectors. The notes and an aspirational document will be circulated to LEP Board Members. It was agreed that the LEP needed to do more thinking in respect of transport RW/Secretariat consortia and this should be added to a future agenda. That the LEP should challenge governments thinking behind the recovery and question whether sufficient expenditure is being spent on infrastructure and utilities. In R/W Greater Lincolnshire this is seen as a barrier to growth. Railways should also be added to the forward agenda too Secretariat We need to be connected in the decision making processes outside the boundaries of Secretariat the GLLEP Area too Minutes of 13 July 2011 Page 1 of 5 GREATER LINCOLNSHIRE _____________________________________________________ Local Enterprise Partnership 2 Operational Brief Item 1 Media Protocol. The Board were happy with this protocol and it was agreed to adopt Item 2 Enterprise Zones North Lincolnshire -Jenny Couch updated the board on the discussions on the Humber Enterprise Zone. North East Lincolnshire – Marc Cole update the board on the discussions taking place between North and North East Lincolnshire on the Simplified Planning Zones on the South Bank of the Humber and how best to take advantage of this process. Item 4 Coastal Community Fund The Board needs to be aware of this fund – although it is a small national pot, and the Cllr Doreen criteria is yet to emerge. What is known is that lottery the process is likely to mean Stephenson/Lincolnshire competitive bids. The LEP could take a strong leadership role in determining what MP’s coastal bids come forward through this process. Cllr Doreen Stephenson was asked to lead on behalf of the LEP, and work with in partnership with LCC, and the coastal districts across Greater Lincolnshire. Support is needed from outside the LEP and lobbying of MPs is fundamental to a successful bid. Tony Hill also offered support from his department. The Coastal Fund will be brought forward as a future Agenda Item. Secretariat 3. Business Investment – Inward Investment and the relationship Between UKTI and the LEP Ruth Carver presented this item - UKTI’s strategy provides support to exporters and inward investors over the next five years. Delivery is through UKTI, and the contract to attract new and existing businesses from abroad has been let to a private sector provider. UKTI wish to work directly with LEP’s for strategy development and delivery through Local Authorities. The LEP role will be one of a Strategic development and relationship role, to lobby on national issues and to promote the case for Greater Lincolnshire. After initial scrutiny of the MOU appears to be quite sensible and will need to be signed before December 2011. It was agreed that cross LEP officer group would look at the MOU with a view to Secretariat making a recommendation to the LEP. Additionally, an Officer Group with private sector input would begin to share information about place marketing across Greater Lincolnshire. It was agreed that UKTI should be invited to give a presentation at a future Secretariat Board Meeting. There are sector specialists at UKTI in London which we need to engage. Very big Government issues are being driven Nationally and we need to involve sector specialists and industry leads.to lobby for the GLLEP area. Minutes of 13 July 2011 Page 2 of 5 GREATER LINCOLNSHIRE _____________________________________________________ Local Enterprise Partnership 4. The Local MPs Joined the Board for an informal discussion The Chair was pleased to welcome Austin Mitchell MP, Martin Vickers MP and Karl McCartney MP to the Board. After brief introductions around the table the Chair gave a brief history of the LEP Board and its formation including the joining of North and North East Lincolnshire to the LEP which now means that we cover an area from the Humber to the Wash. The priorities of the LEP were outlined as infrastructure and enterprise. The infrastructure across greater Lincolnshire is no where near adequate to encourage growth and there is little funding. However Greater Lincolnshire has had a major success with BDUK funding to update the Broadband infrastructure of the County. The LEP Board has also offered its weight behind the Lincoln Eastern By Pass and the A18- A180 Link Road bids. It was discussed as to how best to engage the support of the local MPs as it is recognised that their support for issues is crucial to success – stressed that early involvement was crucial, and regular contact either via minutes/agenda’s and bulletins would be useful. The joining of the North and North East Lincolnshire to this LEP and the Humber LEP was seen as a very positive step Karl McCartney welcomed the engagement of the LEP, and asked to be kept involved in its deliberations Martin Vickers MP emphasized the involvement of LEP Boards in Transport Issues. This is timely as the LEP Board have just held a seminar to gain a better . The Lincoln to London link has been a major development but we also need to lobby for the same fro Cleethorpes- Scunthorpe- London. He also was interested in Coastal Tourism. Austin Mitchell MP believed that the LEP was right to focus on a narrow agenda and not to use a scatter gun approach. The GLLEP area seems to be invisible to London and others and we need to work on getting Lincolnshire on the map. How do we sell our message outside the County? There are other MPs and Peers of the Realm around the GLLEP area which we should add to the Communications Plan. MEPs are also essential in this process especially for securing European Funding. 5. Feed Back on Sector Task and Finish Groups The LEP received feedback from lead board members on three tasks and finish Groups Manufacturing Sector led by Neil Corner The response had been quite promising in this sector as there was individual, collective and feed back from the Engineering Business Breakfast. Barriers to Growth - Finance - Access to and awareness of Finance/Grants/credits Legislation – Adding costs to businesses e.g. Retirement Laws and Contractor Proposals Skills – Shortage of High Level Skills, finding it difficult to attract managers, also immigration barriers Economy – Confidence is stuttering, High Energy Costs GLLEP Area – Not on the Map for International and National Investors. Minutes of 13 July 2011 Page 3 of 5 GREATER LINCOLNSHIRE _____________________________________________________ Local Enterprise Partnership Opportunities for Growth Renewables – New Markets GL Reputation – Branding Transport and Infrastructure Role of the Public Sector Skills Training The Way Forward The LEP needs to take action and achieve outcomes regularly to keep the private sector engaged and produce a vision for Manufacturing in Lincolnshire. Quick wins are required as well as medium and long term gains Potentially use Capacity Funds to commission research to discover the value of Manufacturing to the Lincolnshire Economy. A summary of the findings should go not only to those who contributed but also those who were invited to but did not. NC Neil Corner to summarise the actions The Visitor Economy – Led by Chris Baron Businesses in this sector have been over consulted over the last year and are therefore not that engaged. The LEP therefore needs to get some quick wins. More flexibility with how apprenticeships work. The Visitor economy is very seasonal and does not fit the framework of day release. Funding for over 25 year olds to up skills is none existent. Chris Brown will issue a summary of proposed actions The Agri-Food Sector - led by Mark Tinsley The Agri Food Sector has held two meetings, the one in the South of the County was a lot better attended and this is possibly because of the draw of the Road Rail Hub. This has been on the agenda since it was asked for by major Companies as far back as 2006. It is the Added Value Economy we need to concentrate on. Mark Tinsley will produce a summary of actions 6. National Planning Framework The Time Table for this Consultation is fairly short and we should encourage the Government to delay the implementation of the Planning Framework until 2013.

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